Doubts, Danger - and Decisions (Season 4, Episode 3)
by bionic4ever
Summary: COMPLETE! Our 'Core Four' are each having serious doubts, about decisions they've made...and about each other. When they are thrust into the most dangerous situation of their lives, will those doubts spur them to action...or will they prove fatal?
1. Chapter 1

(****This story follows 'Head-On' and 'Stranded', my first 2 Season Four stories. It begins immediately where 'Stranded' left off.)

**Doubts, Danger...and Decisions**

Season 4, Episode 3

Chapter One

It was 2am and in his bed at National Medical Center, Steve was still unable to sleep. He wasn't in any pain; the replacement of his right arm had gone well and his injuries from the shipwreck were beginning to heal nicely. It should've been one of the happiest times in his life! _''Steve...I wanna be your wife,''_ Jaime had told him that day. But it wasn't the excitement someone who was newly-engaged keeping him awake. Doubt and trepidation had unexpectedly reared their ugly heads and no matter what he told himself, Steve couldn't seem to shake off the gloom.

His heart should've been singing; instead, he was wondering what the day had even meant. _''Sweetheart, that's Boardwalk, Park Place and all the railroads all tied up in a big red bow!''_ he had told her...and then they'd kissed and returned to their Monopoly game. What had Jaime really been saying...and what, exactly, had he agreed to? Were they even engaged at all...or simply in agreement that - one day - their hearts would head in that direction? Steve had gotten used to taking his cues from Jaime. Since the rehabilitation from her car accident, they'd had most of their best conversations over that Monopoly board - with Steve always taking great care to let Jaime call the shots. When she wanted to talk, they talked. Otherwise they played, just enjoying each other's company.

Should he have pressed the issue, firmed up an engagement (or at least clarified the situation) then and there? Maybe. But maybe...she was just too fragile. Jaime was fully healed from the crash that had nearly taken her life but in many ways she was like a newborn colt now, still trying to rise to her feet and find her footing. The crash had stolen so much from her! She was finally back up to her full bionic strength and (thanks in part to a vacation that had turned into a shipwreck) she was beginning to learn how to control that strength again. But the trauma inflicted on her mind - and her _soul_ - were almost unimaginable! Jaime had been engaged to Chris Williams and was eagerly planning their wedding when her car was struck head-on, causing massive blunt-force trauma and near-catastrophic bleeding in her brain. She was deeply comatose for days and when she finally woke up, instead of reaching out for her fiance (Chris), Jaime had cried out...for **Steve**.

Steve had rushed to her side from his seat in the hallway and soon he, Rudy and especially Chris were horrified to learn that Jaime believed she was just waking up in the aftermath of her skydiving accident. Tiny bits and pieces of her post-bionic life (like her engagement to Steve) swirled around with newly-recovered memories that had previously seemed gone forever. Jaime's mind had become a hazy maelstrom of confusion and while she still realized that a wedding would have to be postponed, she believed that wedding was with Steve...and not with Chris. The situation was devastating for both men and - even more so - for Jaime. Steve and Chris had consulted with Rudy and (much the same as had happened between Steve and Michael once before), they'd all agreed it was best not to try and force things along.

Except Chris didn't keep his end of the bargain. Infuriated that his fiancee was leaning on someone else (Steve) for support and encouragement, Chris had stormed into her room and blurted out everything, virtually demanding that Jaime remember him! The effect was devastating all around. Jaime fearfully pulled even closer to Steve and the tenuous grip that Chris still had on his own sanity crumbled. He blurted out what the NSB had already begun to uncover - that HE had been behind the car crash that had so nearly killed his own fiancee! In his mind, he'd been fully justified since ''she wasn't supposed to get hurt.'' He had been looking toward leaving the CIA and had hoped to frighten Jaime enough that she'd put in for her own retirement...so they could live out their days together in the government's 'retirement community' for former agents. Instead, Chris would now be living out the rest of his days alone - in the worst Maximum Security prison the government had to offer.

And Jaime? She'd been left worse off in many ways than she'd been right after her skydiving accident. She was forced to try and come to terms with what had happened between herself and two very different men. She had no memory of her service to the OSI - and thus none of the training or experience that had taken her years to acquire. She had re-bonded with Rudy during the shipwreck (the vacation-that-wasn't, following her release from the hospital) but Oscar was still almost a stranger to her. And her relationship with Steve was a kaleidoscope of confusion. Her feelings for him had returned to where they'd been before and immediately after her skydiving accident...and yet everything had changed.

_So,_ Steve asked himself for what seemed like the 937th time, _what did Jaime really mean when she said she wanted to be my wife?_ Was he taking advantage of the situation by having agreed with her at all? She was healthy, strong and fit...and yet she'd probably never been more vulnerable.

His heart should've been doing cartwheels at the thought of regaining everything he'd stopped allowing himself to hope for...and yet Steve's world - instead of righting itself - had just tipped even further on its axis and threatened to spin firmly out of control.

* * * * *


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Happy to finally be back in her own home after being away for too long, Jaime was also wide awake...and torturing herself with questions. _What did I do today?_ she admonished herself silently. _Was it too soon - Steve is still in the hospital, for God's sake! - and should I have just kept my big mouth shut?!_

It wasn't that she was questioning her own motives; she'd said what she said solely out of love - and the joy of discovering that love, all over again. Her relationship with Steve was not the same one they'd had three years earlier but their feelings for each other were strong and solidifying more and more with each passing day. But what if -

Jaime's thoughts were broken by a soft yet insistent knock on the door. _At 2am?_ she wondered.

It was Rudy. ''I was just driving by on my way home,'' he told her, ''and I saw your light was still on. Everything okay?''

Jaime smiled warmly at the doctor's kindness as she motioned him into the living room (seeing right through his charade). ''Rudy, you're just leaving the hospital now, in the middle of the night?'' she asked.

''I checked on Steve around 11...then fell asleep at my desk.''

''Still - even though I'm always glad to see you - this is _not_ on your way home. Why -?''

Rudy grinned. ''You caught me. Call it instinct, mixed with a healthy dose of good old 'checking up on you.' Thought I'd drive by, see your light off and be able to tell myself my patient was resting comfortably. Except...you're not. What's wrong, Honey? Are you in pain?'' (Jaime's injuries from the car crash had been severe and although she seemed to be fully - or at least mostly - healed now, Rudy eyed her carefully.)

Jaime shook her head and then slowly, haltingly, began telling him what was on her mind. Rudy hadn't been aware of the _'I wanna be your wife'_ conversation but it didn't surprise him. As an interested and caring bystander, it was hard for him to miss what had happened between his only two patients. He was happy for both of them - and he told her so - but he wondered, although he didn't voice it to Jaime, if the timing was slightly out of whack. He was almost as happy as Steve that Jaime had regained most of her memories of their earlier life together, but the doctor wondered how much of 'now' Jaime was actually feeling...and how much was simply due to her new warm, glowing memories. Yes, she and Steve had grown much closer again - over their Monopoly marathons and especially while they'd been shipwrecked and stranded together in the middle of the ocean. But had it been love pulling them together on that tiny atoll where they'd waited for rescue...or was it adrenaline? Rudy suspected it was a hefty dose of both.

''Rudy...'' Jaime began hesitantly, ''Was it too soon? Was I too pushy; did I...rush things?''

''Honey, you're really the only one who can answer that. Well, you...and Steve.''

Jaime made them each a cup of cocoa, set out a plate of cookies - and the doctor and his patient became more like two old friends, talking, dissecting the situation and finally even laughing just a little. (Would Steve _ever_ beat her at Monopoly without her having to throw the game?)

* * *

At his desk at OSI-Los Angeles, Oscar poured himself another cup of coffee. In his world, there were always at least half a dozen 'fires to put out', but for the last few days tensions in Russia and China threatened to boil over into an ugly, violent triad of destruction with the United States - and it fell to Oscar to make certain that didn't happen. He gauged situations by how often his 'red phone' rang (as opposed to the regular 'black' line)...and tonight it had been ringing off the hook. Now, at 2am, there was finally a respite.

As things began (for the moment) to settle down, Oscar's thoughts turned to Jaime. She was healthy again - _strong_ and healthy - and Oscar knew the time was fast approaching when the Secretary would press him more adamantly to call her back into service. Oscar had hoped that the passage of a bit more time might bring back more of her memory, particularly of her work as an operative: her training and the years of experience she'd acquired since then. _This_ was why he'd been stalling the Secretary. Well, this...and his intention for her to spend as much time as possible with Steve. They both deserved that! Maybe, he reasoned, it would even trigger the memories she would need if she was to _safely_ step back into an operative's shoes.

The phone rang again - and Oscar groaned inwardly. When he picked up, though, the call was _not_ one that he saw coming...

* * *

Their visit was ending on a pleasant, lighter note with Rudy agreeing that he'd have to join his friends for a Monopoly match very soon. Jaime saw him to the door and then - since they were still talking and laughing together - walked him to his car. Rudy kissed her cheek and was just climbing into the driver's seat when his car phone rang.

''At this time of night?'' Jaime questioned. Then her heart sank. ''Oh God...Steve! Something's happened...''

She waited expectantly, watching as the doctor's jaw dropped and his face turned pale. ''Oh no...'' she heard him whisper. ''I'll be right there.'' He listened for a few moments more and then his voice was determined and firm. ''NO; I am _coming!_ I'll be there in 15 minutes.'' Rudy hung up the phone and turned to Jaime, his eyes dark with worry...and anger. ''The hospital - _MY hospital_ - is under attack...''

- - - - -


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The first thing they saw as they rounded the curve onto the long, winding driveway was...nothing. National Medical Center had gone completely dark. _''Stay in the car!''_ Rudy told Jaime before he'd even screeched to a halt, as close as he could get to the Security barriers. He knew what her answer would be, but he still had to say it.

''Not a chance,'' Jaime said urgently. She strode from the car before Rudy could stop her and after grabbing his OSI-issued gun from the glovebox, Rudy followed. Together, doctor _and_ patient made their way up to the barriers.

Rudy flashed his OSI badge at the NSB Security officer who blocked their way. The officer looked questioningly toward Jaime. In broad daylight, he might have recognized her but even if he had, his current orders stated that no one crossed the barriers - **no one** - without ID. And even then, only a handful of pre-specified people. ''She's with me,'' Rudy insisted (knowing that Jaime's ID was gone until he and Oscar could have '**that**' talk with her). ''She's Level Six.'' (Without her memories of government service, Rudy knew she really had no clearance right now - except by virtue of her bionics - but there was no time to debate the issue.) ''Ask Goldman if you don't believe me!'' Without waiting for further argument, he led Jaime through the barrier.

It didn't take long for them to find Oscar, even in the dark. The OSI Chief was as close to the hospital as he could get, just inside the 2nd set of barriers, gathering information and disseminating orders quietly through his datacom. He nodded to Rudy and Jaime as he completed the most current order-in-progress. ''No; I want you to stand down. Do **not** move in unless I give the order personally.'' His finger left the transmission button but the device stayed firmly in Oscar's hand. ''Russ was supposed to tell you to stay away,'' he snapped at Rudy.

''He did,'' Rudy confirmed. ''But I know this facility better than anyone! The layout -''

''We have blueprints, Rudy.''

''And you can read them in the dark?'' Rudy queried. He guessed (correctly) that Russ had the blueprints spread out across the desk back at OSI-Los Angeles, ready to relay the information, but it wasn't enough. ''Oscar, blueprints tell you where the walls are...but not the heavy equipment. And they certainly don't tell you anything about my staff.''

Oscar was being pulled in too many directions at once, spread too thin - and he knew it. He was just about to agree with Rudy when Jack Hansen, used to being the one in charge, stepped between them as though Rudy was invisible (which in the cloudy, moon-less darkness, he very nearly was). ''Goldman, I'm sending my team in,'' he announced. ''Stand-down is _not_ an option here!''

''You'd be sending them like lemmings off a cliff!'' Oscar argued.

''They wouldn't see us coming!''

''Right,'' Oscar sighed. ''But your men wouldn't see them either! For now, until we formulate a plan, it is _out of the question!_'' Oscar keyed up the datacom once more. **''Stand down!''** he repeated, then turned again to his adversarial cohort. ''Jack, make your men useful. Have them search the perimeters for any staff who may have fled.''

''Oscar,'' Rudy began once Hansen had stalked away, ''why don't you position teams at all doors then turn the power back on and send them in?'' (He reasoned that if power had been cut to throw the attackers off-balance, it could be restored for a sudden, surprise surge into the building.)

Oscar shook his head. ''We didn't cut the power; they did...from the inside.''

Rudy groaned. This was even more grim than he'd thought. ''What do we know so far?''

''Unknown number of assailants - but they must be considerable since it seems they took nearly the whole hospital simultaneously.''

''What do they want?'' Jaime asked.

''They may be after Rudy's Top Secret files...or Rudy himself,'' Oscar theorized. ''Possibly neither. They may have chosen this target because it's a large government building with so many potential hostages. So far, they've made no demands - but their one lone transmission was to let us know they had rounded up the nurses...''

Jaime flinched. ''And...Steve? Maybe he's already on top of this...?'' she said hopefully.

''I can't count on that. Rudy, you and Hansen may be right. We may have to -''

''I'm going in!'' Jaime announced.

''NO!'' both men told her in stereo. Rudy took her gently by the arm. ''Honey, you aren't ready to handle this.''

''I know practically every inch of this place! I _lived_ here for over two months - remember?''

''No, Jaime,'' Oscar reiterated.

''I need a radio,'' she told them (ignoring their refusal to let her help). ''Anything my ear picks up, I can relay back to you. Then you'll have the Intel you need to be able to send in the teams!''

It was tempting; she'd made an excellent argument. Still, with no training or experience (that she was able to call upon, anyway), Oscar knew that sending Jaime in was even more of a suicide mission than sending Hansen's men would be. Hell, she didn't even know that the 'radio' was a far more sophisticated piece of equipment called a datacom! ''**Absolutely not**!'' he ordered in a voice that - for anyone else - would mean the end of the discussion.

Jaime wasn't _anyone_ though. While she'd been very quiet and reserved around Oscar since the car accident (and more than a little in awe of his power, if truth be told), this was _different_. Carefully, she shook off Rudy's grasp on her arm. ''_Steve_ is in there,'' she said very softly. ''If he's already working the situation, he needs my help. And if he isn't...then he needs me even more.'' She held out her hand. ''I need a radio,'' she repeated.

- - - - -


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The big double doors (entrance and exit) would have alerted those inside to her presence if Jaime had forced them open, so instead she made her way to the smaller service door at the rear of the main building. Oscar and Rudy had given her a fast, rudimentary explanation of how to work the datacom and then turned down the speaker volume until it was nearly off - inaudible to the normal human ear but not a problem for Jaime. Her transmissions would go out normally but while she was in the building no one else would hear any instructions given to her from the command center outside.

She moved quickly into the outermost rear hallway, her steps as surefooted and silent as if she were walking with cat's feet...and then she stopped. Jaime pictured the layout in her head once more - kitchen to the left, staff dining room to the right and the cafeteria just beyond that. _You're only gathering Intel; not performing Search and Rescue_, Oscar had told her. Although she'd nodded in feigned agreement, Jaime knew that if she stumbled on where they were holding the hostages, she certainly wasn't going to leave them there! On the other hand, how could she lead at least a dozen (and likely more) hostages to safety, when it was impossible to know who or what might lie in wait just around the next corner?

The complete absence of any form of light was disorienting and more than a little frightening. Jaime heard no voices, no footsteps, no one communicating through this section of the building on radios of their own. Everything was deathly quiet and combined with the blinding, overwhelming darkness it was almost as though she was standing in the middle of a giant, hulking tomb! Jaime shuddered and pushed away the sense of terror, forcing herself to concentrate as she made her way further into the building, toward the suite of offices. She didn't have a concrete plan, but Steve's room was on the third floor toward the front (all the way down the hall from the now-dead elevators, but just past the stairway) so she would work her way there, transmitting to Oscar anything she might find or hear along the way. If she and Steve could handle this together it would be better all around - but could she find him and would he be physically able to help her? _Was he even alive?!_

* * *

Once Jaime had slipped inside the building, Oscar had so many other issues to attend to that he simply had to trust in her abilities. She was intelligent, strong and very brave (to the point of being stubborn) and her instincts had always been among the best. With nothing else to draw on though, would instincts be enough to keep Jaime alive in there? He had no choice; he had to count on that!

Rudy, on the other hand, didn't have the benefit of distraction. He stared at the silent datacom in his hand and willed it to crackle to life with any word of what might be happening in that building (**his** building), to his staff...and two patients who were the closest he'd ever come to having children of his own.

- - -  
Jaime moved painstakingly slowly on her way through the back hallway, stopping often to listen and to try and catch her bearings. Twelve hours earlier, the place had been a huge, bustling hub of constant activity. (Was it really only twelve hours ago that she'd told Steve _I wanna be your wife_?) Now there was only nothingness...or so it seemed. Jaime guessed from what Oscar had told Hansen - to have his men search the perimeters for any staff/witnesses who may have fled - that few, if any, people were believed to have left the building when the siege began. _Where were they?_ Surely they couldn't all be...dead...could they?

Then, as she passed Rudy's office and had nearly reached the stairs...her first break. A voice, low and menacing, came from inside the office! ''If nothing happens within the hour, bring them to me. They should have enough air to last 'til then. Rudy Wells won't stand by quietly if his nurses start getting shot one by one!''

Jaime gasped involuntarily, ducked into the stairwell and keyed up the datacom. ''Hostages - well, the nurses, anyhow - are some place with only an hour's worth of air left!'' she whispered urgently. ''And get Rudy outta -''

Her words cut off mid-sentence when her ear picked up an ominous sound...and then another. From a couple of stories up, footsteps were headed down the stairs - in her direction - and on the opposite side of the stairwell door, the door to Rudy's office opened and closed.

**Jaime was trapped.**

- - - - -


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

In her rush to impart what she'd just overheard, Jaime had overlooked one crucial detail: _where she was!_Her location should've been the first thing out of her mouth. That way...but she no longer knew that. ''She could be halfway into the building by now,'' Oscar sighed. He was well aware that an attempt to find her now (or to storm the hospital as a whole) would be too dangerous for everyone: his teams, the civilians and medical staff still inside...and could especially be lethal for Jaime and Steve. ''I should never have let her go in there.''

''And you could've stopped her...how?'' Rudy pointed out.

Oscar had to admit that the doctor was right. So he and Rudy put their heads together to try and concentrate on what they _could_do: attempt to figure out which places in the complex might have less than an hour's worth of air.

* * *

Jaime didn't have the luxury of more than a split-second to consider her options. If there'd been light, she might have grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall of the stairwell and sprayed her pursuer (or thrown it at him) but flailing for it in the dark was not an option. Without consciously considering anything - going solely on instinct - she hit the door at full bionic strength, intending to make a run for the exit and then find another way back inside once she was safe. Instead, she nearly tripped over the man who had just left Rudy's office - the one she had knocked senseless when she'd barreled through the door! Quickly, she jumped off to one side and her instinct proved excellent. Her pursuer also didn't see the fallen man...until he'd tripped and landed sprawled over top of him.

''Two down in the lower rear hallway, just outside Rudy's office,'' Jaime transmitted to Oscar. ''I'm still looking for Steve.''

* * *

Once again, she'd sent only partial information. Oscar keyed up. ''Jaime - two of ours...or two of theirs? Secured, dead - or just down? Armed?'' There was no reply. He turned to Rudy and shook his head. ''Dammit!''

Jaime wasn't being purposefully insubordinate. Operating in the dark (and once again lacking the experience), she'd hit the power button when she keyed off. Now she truly was running blind.

* * *

Still not used to focusing her exceptional hearing but remembering what Steve and Rudy had told her - to listen first and _then_try to isolate each sound - Jaime stopped inside the stairwell to listen carefully. Someone was there, on an upper floor (likely guarding the stairwell door) but her path to the third floor (and - hopefully - Steve) sounded clear.

She _felt_the presence of people on the third floor before she heard them. Someone was at the far end of the hall, by the elevator. Jaime wondered idly what the point of that might be, since the elevators were dead. Patrolling the length of the hallway, perhaps? Maybe, she reasoned, but for now the person seemed (from what she could hear) to be staying where he was and just shifting in place with annoyed sighs. It didn't sound like anyone was standing guard outside of Steve's room, so she took one more cautious, silent step in that direction. Was Steve inside? Had he been harmed in any way? Jaime knew it might take both of them fighting their way out and working together to stand any chance of resolving this safely.

There seemed to be nothing (and no one) to hear inside Steve's room...but she'd need to check for herself, to know for sure. Slowly (still using her silent 'cat feet'), she stepped into the doorway and listened again. There were several people moving around inside. Her heart sank; this had to mean that Steve was inside...and 'they' had him! Jaime took a deep (but very quiet) breath and prepared to 'rush' the room...then froze in her tracks. The unmistakable sound of metal being bent bionically meant that Steve was still alive - but the sound was coming from the far end of the hall! Jaime had very nearly walked straight into an ambush!

Once again, there was little-to-no time to weigh her options. Moving to the next room down the hallway, she verified that it was empty (as far as her ear could tell) and felt around blindly for the plastic pitcher on the bedside table. She'd have to somehow disable the guard at the other end of the hall and she hoped a plastic projectile would be silent enough to still allow her the element of surprise against Steve's attackers. Jaime crept down the hallway, trying to focus in on the guard's breathing to keep his position in her mind's eye. She had to force herself not to rush! When she was almost there, she drew back her right arm and lobbed the pitcher with all of her strength.

In total darkness, it was an extremely lucky shot. The sounds of a life and death struggle from inside the nearest room meant that no one else heard the guard slump to the floor. Jaime couldn't risk having the guard wake up and start shooting from the doorway so she bent down, found his hand...and removed the weapon. She shuddered at the discovery that she'd had another close call; the gun had been in firing position when he went down!

Then the most ominous sounds of all came from inside the room. One was really the absence of a sound: all struggling had ceased. The other...was the cocking of a gun. Jaime summoned all of her courage and called out a warning as she stepped inside:

''Put. The. Gun. _Down!_Or I'll drop you like a clay pigeon!''


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

For the longest few seconds of Jaime's life, there was no sound at all. Steve's voice, in a nearly inaudible whisper, broke the silence. ''Get outta here; RUN.''

_The hell I will,_ Jaime thought to herself. She wasn't sure how to use the gun she'd just picked up...but they didn't know that. ''I'm not bluffing here,'' she said firmly. ''I'd better hear that gun hit the floor - NOW.''

The wordless answer from inside the room was the cocking of a second gun! _Just how many of them _**are**_ there?_ Jaime wondered. She couldn't see them...but they couldn't see her either. Standing in the doorway though meant she was an easier target to hit - so she mustered all of her courage and stepped fully into the room. Hoping to distract them from what they clearly intended to do to Steve, she moved to where her mind's eye told her the bedside table would be (the patient rooms were all laid out the same) and sent everything from on top clattering down to the floor. Then too many things happened all at once. Two guns went off from across the room and Jaime was slammed into the table at the same instant her feet left the floor and she jumped to the opposite side of the bed. Her left leg buckled beneath her and she dove under the bed just as a chair clattered to the floor followed by what had to be two bodies slamming into each other with great force.

Then came the sweetest sound of all: ''Sweetheart? Are you alright?''

''My leg,'' she told him, sliding out from under the bed, ''I think I was hit.''

''You shouldn't even be here. Let's get you outside to Rudy and I'll deal with this.''

''Nothing doing, Colonel. You _need_ me! Well, you need my ear, anyway...''

Reluctantly, Steve had to admit to himself that she was right. ''One of these goons has a penlight,'' he told her. ''I'll see if I can find it and I need you to get anything you can get your hands on in the dark to tie them up with. Then give it to me.'' He knelt down and had just found the penlight when Jaime handed him the cord she'd ripped from the phone. Steve quickly secured the men and stood up to swoop Jaime into his arms. ''I can move faster this way,'' he explained. ''We'll get to somewhere safe - well, safer, anyhow - and I'll take a look at your leg.''

Steve chose the room halfway down the hall. He set Jaime down gently on the floor, on the opposite side of the bed from the door, propped her against the wall with the pillow and handed her the penlight. ''Let's see what we're dealing with,'' he said very quietly. They spoke in hushed tones, both of them mindful there were more men down the hall in Steve's room. Jaime scanned her leg with the tiny light until the bullet hole came into view. ''Doesn't look too bad,'' Steve told her, widening the tear in her pants leg just enough to get a better view. ''I can jury-rig it well enough for now...''

''You can _do_ that?''

Steve ignored the question. He forced a strip of wood from beneath the mattress, whittled it down with his fingers and started to work at rearranging and reconnecting the wires. ''Did Oscar send you in here?''

''Not exactly,'' Jaime admitted. ''He...um...well, he said no...we discussed it and...''

''And you came anyhow,'' Steve deduced. (It _wasn't_ a question.)

''Well...yeah.''

Steve sighed. ''We'll talk about that later.'' One of the wires sparked, causing Jaime to jump. Steve paused to gaze into her eyes, hoping to calm her. It worked. ''Almost done,'' he told her.

''Oscar _did_ agree I could come in,'' Jaime explained. ''He even gave me a radio.''

Steve frowned. ''A _radio?_ Oh...a datacom? Where is it?''

''It's right here.'' Jaime reached with her free hand to where she'd hung the device on her belt. ''Uh-oh! It must've fallen off when I hit the wall!''

''We'll have to go back for it; I don't have one - and we're gonna need it.'' He reached over to the bed, tore off a strip of the blanket and tied it around Jaime's leg. ''Finished. How does that feel?'' he asked, helping her to her feet.

Jaime took a few tentative steps. ''Great work, Doctor Austin.''

''Good. I had to settle for a quick patch; we don't have much time.''

''Yeah, I know. The nurses only have about 45 minutes' more air - and I don't know where they are. Not sure about any other hostages either.''

''We might have an even bigger problem,'' he began, as gently as possible. He debated telling her the rest, unsure if she'd be able to handle it...but she deserved to know exactly what they were up against so she could choose for herself whether she would stay or - and he hoped she'd choose the latter - leave.

His silence, even for those few brief moments, was terrifying. ''Steve...?''

''Sweetheart, somewhere in this building..._they have a _**bomb**_.''_

- - - - -


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

''Are you _sure?''_Oscar demanded of the NSB extraction team. ''Check again. There should be two men down in there!''

''We've got a busted door,'' one of Hansen's charges argued back, ''but no sign of any people...down or otherwise. And frankly, I'm not comfortable keeping my men in here on a 'maybe'.''

Oscar sighed. ''Bring 'em out and stand down, then. For now.'' He turned to Rudy, finally giving voice to his doubts. ''Rudy...can she handle this? I don't just mean now...today. I mean in general. If the 'two men down' Jaime talked about were ours, they've obviously been recaptured. And if they weren't ours, she failed to secure them.'' Either way, an ugly, volatile situation had just gotten a little worse. ''Where the hell is she?''

Privately, Rudy was having some pretty serious doubts of his own but he didn't dare speak them, as though saying them out loud would give them validity. But...was Jaime strong enough (physically _and _emotionally) to pull this off on her own if she had to? Yes, she was 'healthy' - he'd said so himself - but if she'd been injured would it cause her body to crash? And if she saw (or more likely, heard) something that rattled her would Jaime be able to set it aside and keep going...or would she freeze? He also wondered (if somehow Jaime did manage to find Steve) what sort of shape Steve might be in. The wound to his neck, suffered just before the shipwreck, had been serious - and infected. It had healed for the most part but there was still considerable pain involved, even for someone as stoic as Steve Austin. Add to that the fact that his system was still adjusting to having a new right arm attached (with more of the shoulder involved now) and Rudy knew that excessive physical exertion could be a recipe for disaster.

''Where the hell **is** she?'' Oscar repeated. Jaime wasn't answering any of their questions...and it had been far too long since her last transmission...

* * *

''I've got it,'' Steve whispered as something finally went right and he stood up from the floor with the datacom in his hand. The infrared sensors in his eye told him the two men he'd secured still hadn't moved, so he passed the device to Jaime. ''I'm sure Oscar's waiting to hear from you.''

Jaime's finger sought out the transmission key and she began to speak. ''Oscar, I - I mean we -''

Steve had to stop her. Even his non-bionic ears picked up that something was wrong. There had been no corresponding electronic buzz before Jaime started to speak. ''Sweetheart...it's not 'On','' he told her. Jaime froze, the datacom still raised where she'd thought she'd been speaking into it. Steve read the situation in a heartbeat. ''Here - let me,'' he suggested. His practiced fingers found the power switch and quickly keyed up the transmitter. Jaime listened, still stunned by her own mistake.

''Oscar, it's me,'' Steve began. ''I'm with Jaime, third floor, the room by the elevator. We have two men secured here, unconscious. Three more down in my room - armed and unsecured. No location for the hostages yet...and there's a bomb somewhere in the building. Fifteen minute detonation switch but I don't think they've triggered it yet. Tell Rudy that Jaime's been hit in the leg but I did a quick patch and it's holding for now. We'll try to ascertain a location for the hostages - and the bomb - and will advise ASAP when we learn anything. Out.''

Jaime had just witnessed the best possible example of how to use a datacom in a crisis situation but for the moment, two words stood out in her mind as if they'd been written there in the brightest neon. ''Fifteen...minutes...?'' she whispered.

''From when they hit the switch,'' Steve explained. ''But I don't think they've done that yet. We need to get cracking before they do!'' He reached out and took Jaime's hand...but she didn't move.

''I really screwed up...with the radio...''

''Sweetheart, you need to let it go. You can't dwell on it right now. Learn from it later if you have to, but stopping to dwell on mistakes creates self-doubt. And in this line of work, self-doubt can be fatal.''

Jaime stood rooted to the spot. ''Steve...wait.''

''We have to go. Now!'' Steve insisted. He had seen paralysis in the field before - when an agent was simply too traumatized to move - and he prepared to swoop Jaime up and carry her outside to safety if necessary. Going out the window was out of the question. A three-story jump would be iffy but on this side of the building the 'Lower Level' was above ground, meaning they were really four stories up and the jump would be next to impossible, even with bionic legs.

''I know we do...but Oscar just said something.''

Maybe she wasn't as far gone as he thought. ''Sorry, Oscar. Repeat, please?'' Steve transmitted.

The datacom crackled. ''Tell Jaime the hallway outside Rudy's office was empty. Her 'two men down'...aren't down. Out.''

''Oh God...no...'' Jaime whispered, scarcely able to breathe as she fought to contain a rising sense of panic. Then things grew immeasurably worse. Jaime grabbed Steve's arm. ''They're coming. A lot of them!''

Steve spoke rapidly and very, very softly. ''Stay there. Stay quiet and _don't move_ until I tell you to!'' He spared Jaime the foreknowledge of what he was about to do. He had the advantage of being able to see their pursuers (or at least their outlines) as they barreled toward him, so he drew the guns he'd taken from his attackers earlier and - with one in each hand - stepped out into the hallway and began to fire.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Jaime stifled a scream and stood still as a statue, wishing there was some way to help when the bullets began to fly. As Steve had hoped, their pursuers held their ground midway down the hall...but as he'd hoped they wouldn't, they began to fire back blindly in the darkness. Steve felt a bullet whiz by, barely missing his head. He fired at their outlines (there appeared to be five of them) and three went down almost immediately...but continued to fire back. He winced as a shot slammed into his right shoulder but he held his ground.

Jaime fought back tears of sheer panic and then she heard a sound that made her cringe. Steve was out of bullets. The barrage in his direction had slowed but still not stopped. Suddenly, she knew how she could help. She groped around at bionic speed near the bed until she found the gun she'd taken from the guard by the elevator, then she moved toward the doorway and extended her arm toward Steve. ''Here - another one,'' she whispered.

Steve wasn't sure what she meant (as a gun didn't show up on his infrared vision) but he reached out...and thanked his lucky stars then continued to fire until everyone was down. Not everything went according to plan though, as one of the men called out ''Hit the switch!''

There was no longer any time to secure them. ''Jaime, take my hand,'' Steve instructed, reaching out for her. ''When I jump, you jump...and then we _run_!'' Faster than should have been possible (even with bionics) he led Jaime up and over the pile of men and made a break for the stairs. A few more bullets rang out from behind them as they reached the doorway and then there was silence.

''Steve, they set off the bomb...didn't they?'' Jaime gasped as they hit the 2nd floor stairwell.

''Yeah; I think so. I'm gonna get you out of here then go back for the hostages. I think I know where they are.'' Several possibilities had been running through his mind. If they were in drawers in the morgue there'd have been a lot less than an hour's worth of air...and if they'd somehow been buried alive out on the grounds the NSB teams would've already found them. So there seemed to be only one place they could be.

''I'm not leaving you,'' Jaime insisted. ''It would take too long for you to go out and back in again and besides, my ear can pick up the bomb if we come across it.''

''Jaime...''

''Sorry, Colonel; you're stuck with me. Now where are we going?''

''Rudy's research lab,'' he told her. It was a sub-basement below the Lower Level and clear on the other side of the building. If he was wrong, Steve knew they might have to evacuate without the hostages but his gut told him he was right. ''They're in the vault.'' He tore the fire extinguisher from the wall and handed it to Jaime. ''If we run into anyone, empty this thing on 'em. I'll get another one, next floor down.'' He paused and keyed up the datacom one more time. ''Oscar, we're headed down to the Research Lab. You need to evacuate the area. They hit the detonation switch about three minutes ago. Out.''

They had reached the sub-basement and Jaime knew without being told that it was again time to listen. ''All I hear is...someone crying.'' Cautiously, with fire extinguishers at the ready, they stepped inside.

Steve saw that there were two people lying on the floor next to a gurney. (Non-ambulatory patients, he guessed.) One of them was crying. ''We'll get you out of here,'' Steve told them. ''Where are the others - in the vault?''

''Y-yes...'' came the sobbed reply.

Jaime tightened her grip on Steve's arm. ''Steve, I hear 'it','' she whispered urgently (careful not to frighten the patients further by using the word 'bomb'. ''It's ticking...and it's over there.''

Since it was 'live' (and unfortunately counting down), Steve was able to find the bomb easily, under one of the research tables. It was sitting loose, unattached to anything, so it would be easy to carry outside...if they had enough time. ''Let's get the door off the vault,'' he told Jaime. ''It'll probably take both of us.'' He didn't want to alarm her any further, but his right arm was losing both strength and function. He led Jaime through the darkness to the vault, they both braced themselves...and began to pull. Steve strained and felt his arm giving out; he'd have to tell her. The heavily reinforced door would be too much for her to force open on her own. ''I can't do it,'' he admitted. ''You'll have to work the lock.'' Realizing that any training Jaime might've had in lock breaking was lost to her now, he hurried to explain. ''Put your ear near the dial and turn it. When you hear the tumblers click, turn it the other way. Then back again. The fourth click should open the door.''

Jaime moved to follow his instructions. She struggled to tune out the sound from the bomb (it was ticking louder and faster now) and concentrated on the task at hand. ''I did it!'' she said triumphantly, pulling the heavy door open as the last tumbler clicked into place.

The hostages - almost three dozen of them - poured out of the vault. Steve focused on them and immediately took charge. ''Go up the stairs and out the door by the cafeteria,'' he instructed. ''Take my penlight to find your way. Four of you will need to carry the two who can't walk.'' He shined the penlight in the direction of the non-ambulatory patients. ''When you get outside, go to the front of the building and run as far away as you can. Go NOW - and hurry!''

Steve watched them go then picked up the bomb with his left hand. ''I'll carry the bomb outside...but you'll have to throw it,'' he told Jaime. ''As far as you can, into the lake out back.'' He turned to lead her to the stairway...and his heart sank. She was down on one knee, trying to fight her way back to her feet.

_**Jaime's leg had given out.**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Steve helped Jaime to her feet, caught her as she wobbled and held her until her stance seemed almost steady. Ideally, he knew, she should have stuck to a slow walk until the bullet could be removed and her leg repaired. The long jump in the upstairs hallway and their bionic dash down the stairs had probably weakened (or destroyed) the patch - and caused more serious damage - but there'd really been no other choice. And there were even fewer choices left to them now. While Jaime caught her bearings, Steve keyed up the datacom.

''Oscar, the hostages are on their way out. We're still in the lab and we've got a problem. Jaime's leg is gone and so is my arm. How much time left, please?''

''Coming up on 5 minutes, Pal. Leave the bomb and get yourselves out of there.''

Steve weighed this option in an instant...and rejected it. If the building went up, it would take out most (if not all) of the terrorists but what if there were patients who'd been overlooked and were still asleep in their beds, unaware of the catastrophe that loomed just five minutes away? Jaime seemed to be standing more firmly now. ''Can you walk?'' he asked her.

''I...I think so...'' She took a few tentative steps...and sank to the floor.

With his arm function gone and Jaime's leg unable to hold her, Steve needed a new plan. With his mind in crisis mode, it came to him almost immediately. ''Oscar, we're leaving now - _with_the bomb - and heading toward the lake. Keep everyone away from the rear of the building. Out.'' He took the bomb from the floor and set it carefully on the table then reached for Jaime. ''Get on my back, piggyback style,'' he instructed ''and hold on for everything you're worth!'' When she was in place, Steve swooped the bomb (very carefully) into the crook of his left arm...and began to run.

Jaime held tight on Steve's back and was alarmed to notice that his right arm seemed to be hanging limp and completely motionless. She thought about their time stranded on the little atoll when Rudy gave her a rudimentary lesson about the workings of bionics. Now she had to wonder...had Steve's power pack been hit?

''When we get there, you'll have to throw the bomb - as hard and fast as you can - into the lake,'' he reminded Jaime as he flew up the stairs, down the main hallway, around the corner and past Rudy's lab. He hit the door at a dead run and quickly reached what he hoped was the perfect spot. He could feel Jaime trembling and simply had to hope she wouldn't freeze with fear. ''Okay, Sweetheart; it's your show now,'' he told her.

Jaime released her hold on Steve, tried to ease herself to a standing position...and fell. Steve handed her the bomb and pulled her gently to her feet, supporting her around the waist with his own body. ''**NOW!**'' he instructed. For a few heart-stopping moments, she didn't move. ''Jaime - _throw it NOW!_''

Steve's voice in her ear broke through Jaime's panic and gave her the strength to focus. She drew back her right arm and threw the wildly ticking ticking device with everything she had in her. As it sailed toward the water, Steve turned her around, putting himself between Jaime and the lake, knowing there was no time to run once the bomb hit the water and hoping to shield her should any debris fly in their direction. Together, they hit the ground (with Steve continuing to shield her) as the bomb hit with a splash and a giant fireball filled the night sky. They could feel the heat of the blast and then just as suddenly...there was silence.

''Great work, Partner,'' Steve said, kissing Jaime softly before they sat up to finally catch their breath. He helped Jaime to her feet and enveloped her in a tight (one-armed) embrace of comfort...and then of support as her leg buckled completely. He bent at the knees so she could get onto his back. ''Let's go; climb aboard and we'll get you to Rudy.''

''I wanna walk out...if I can,'' Jaime insisted. ''At least I wanna do that.''

''Sweetheart...'' Even in the darkness, Steve knew it was useless to argue. In his mind's eye he knew that Jaime's jaw was firmly set and she would _not_ be swayed. ''Alright,'' he sighed, ''let's do this.'' He kept his left arm firmly around Jaime's waist and - looking every bit like the walking wounded, which they _were_- they made their way around the side of the building and out toward the barricades.

The waiting crowd erupted in a cheer of triumph and Oscar and Rudy hurried over to meet them. ''Tell Hansen he can send his men in now,'' Steve said, pulling himself up to his full Colonel stance. ''There may still be a few gunmen scattered through the building but most are down. Seven on the third floor -''

''Eight,'' Jaime corrected, adding in the guard she'd taken down with the water pitcher.

''Eight,'' Steve agreed. ''And with night goggles, they should be able to round up the rest.''

''Excellent job...both of you!'' Oscar exulted - and then radioed instructions to his NSB cohort.

Rudy spread a blanket on the ground and Steve lowered Jaime into what he hoped was a comfortable position, then sat down beside her. Several people moved in with large flashlights so the doctor could begin tending to his patients. The sight that met his eyes was almost overwhelming; Rudy wasn't sure how either one of them had made it through the last half hour to come out of the building alive. ''Medevac chopper's on the way to take you both to the base hospital at Edwards,'' he told them. They would both need immediate attention and at first glance Rudy wasn't sure either could wait until they reached the base for treatment. The hole in Jaime's leg had indeed grown larger as the bullet had been jostled and scorched its way through the circuits. Rudy saw her grayish pallor and the way her whole body trembled. Had the injury sent her into a bionic rejection cycle again? He turned his gaze to Steve - and he called out to the crowd for someone to find Oscar.

Rudy tried to keep his voice steady and calm as he relayed instructions to Oscar. ''Tell Hansen to send an extraction team down to my lab, to the vault. I need them to find a gray lockbox labeled **87311/JSB**. And I need them to _**hurry**_.'' Oscar carefully relayed the message.

Steve knew as well as anyone what this meant. His power pack had been damaged - and his life depended on it being replaced within the next hour. Beside him, Jaime knew what it meant too...and she fell back limply into Steve's arms in a dead faint, trembling violently. Stress and injury had taken a vicious toll.

Rudy gathered himself to try and tend to TWO patients who both needed him desperately...and the cold hammer of stress came down hard upon him too. The doctor collapsed, face first, onto the ground at Steve and Jaime's feet...out cold and clutching his chest.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

All of Oscar's years on the job, the decades he'd spent amassing experience and confidence all brought him to this single moment. He had a building filled with terrorists to be rounded up and interrogated and a hospital to (hopefully) be returned to its intended function. Dozens of freed hostages needed assessment, treatment and debriefing. And most of all, three of his own charges (who also happened to be his closest friends in the world) were down - all in life-threatening condition. There was no room for error or doubt; he had to perform like he never had before...and he did. The decisions came almost automatically to him.

''Jack, I need that building cleared and the power restored - and I need it done _yesterday!_'' He switched frequencies and continued in rapid-fire fashion. ''Russ, I need a location for Michael Marchetti; get back to me immediately.'' He turned to his friends on the blanket. Steve had carefully rolled Rudy over and wadded up a corner of the blanket to cushion his head.

''He's breathing, Oscar,'' Steve announced. Tenderly, he touched his left hand to Jaime's cheek and then smoothed back her hair, trying to rouse her with no success. She was trembling so violently that she almost looked like she was in full seizure. He had seen this twice before...when she had been in rejection and nearly died. ''Hold on, Sweetheart,'' he pleaded, kissing her cheek and reaching for her hand.

Oscar's next decision would be made as soon as he heard from Russ. If Marchetti could be found and if he was in the area (_please let him be nearby_, Oscar prayed silently), he knew that ideally his friends should be treated right here at National. All of the equipment for both bionic surgeries was here. Rudy's team was nearby (some of them among the hostages) and Edwards would be their stop-gap measure only if the building was cleared too slowly. He'd have to make that call himself, as soon as he heard from Russ and Jack.

Teams from the NSB and OSI were swarming the building. Sporadic gunfire sounded from both the upper and lower levels. Russ was the first to get back to Oscar. ''I found Marchetti,'' he said, happy to be bearing good news this time. ''He's about 15 minutes from you...and 45 from Edwards. He's ready to go; where do you want him?''

Oscar looked again toward the hospital. The gunfire was slowly dying out and - as if a gift from the gods - the lights came on. ''Send a car for him with a police escort and get him here - to National - in 10 or less.'' He turned to the nurses who had begun to flock around the three on the blanket. ''There should be a medical kit in Rudy's car, with a portable oxygen machine. Parked just behind the second barricades.'' Oscar keyed up the datacom once more. ''Jack, what's the word?''

''I think we're clear, Oscar,'' Hansen reported. ''Six casualties - theirs, not ours - and we'll be transporting them down to the morgue. I've got teams bringing out the rest and others doing a final sweep of the building. Should be almost good to go. Out.''

''Wonderful news, Jack. Thank you. Russ, I need you to mobilize the rest of Rudy's team...doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses. Everybody. And get them here at light-speed please.''

With the supplies from Rudy's car, the nurses began to tend to their fallen patients. They alternated the oxygen mask between Rudy and Jaime. Steve had to try and restrain Jaime with his left arm when it was her turn and she began to flail and try to fight off the mask. His touch seemed to calm her enough to accept the oxygen and her color began to improve but the awful shaking continued. Rudy remained limp and unresponsive but until they could get him on a heart monitor it was impossible to know exactly what was going on. Oxygen would be no use to Steve (although they checked him over too), since he was conscious and coherent as the time ticked away and his need for a new power pack grew more urgent by the minute.

''Building clear; bring 'em in!'' Hansen called, as the car carrying Marchetti zoomed in just shy of taking out a barricade. Michael would now have to make decisions without blinking or hesitating, exactly as Oscar had, with three lives hanging in the balance.

''Get him into Cardiac,'' Marchetti instructed, starting with Rudy. ''Standard doses of nitro and propranolol and I need monitor readings both before and after medication.'' He turned next to Steve when one of Hansen's men delivered the power pack.

''I can wait a little longer,'' Steve insisted. ''Take care of Jaime now.''

Michael shifted over on the blanket and a nurse continued to administer oxygen as he pushed back his emotions to be able to assess her as objectively as possible. Steve noticed the look in his eyes, fleeting but definitely there. The young doctor still had feelings for the woman he'd brought back from the dead.

''Jaime, can you hear me?'' Michael queried, leaning in close to her right ear. There was no reply. Michael took her vitals...and his heart sank. ''Take her up to OR-2 and begin bionic tune-down procedures. Administer full range of anti-rejection drugs and coumadin to try and hold off the blood clots. Take Steve - and the power pack - to OR-1 and I'll meet you there.''

''More help should be here any minute,'' Oscar interjected.

Michael silently thanked the heavens for that. With three patients, all of them critical, he'd need all the help he could get.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Until more help could arrive, Michael had to prioritize the best that he could. Rudy's monitor readings indicated that even though he still hadn't regained consciousness he was beginning to stabilize with no further cardiac incidents. Jaime's condition was the most dire but if she needed surgery to remove a clot (and Michael suspected she did), it would be long, delicate - and would require more hands in the operating room. For now she was heavily sedated, her bionics tuned down as far as they could safely take her, and on her way to x-ray. Michael's heart longed to stay by her side but his head overrode his emotions. He was a doctor, first and foremost. There was nothing more he could do for Jaime until he had more staff (and the results of her x-rays) and right now he had a far more immediate and urgent priority to attend to. It had been over 45 minutes since Steve's power pack was damaged. There was very little time left. Bionics were not Michael's specialty (he'd always tended to leave that to Rudy) but he had acquired at least a working knowledge...and he was the only chance Steve had. Michael scrubbed up and strode briskly into OR-1 where Steve (still fully awake and coherent) waited on the table.

''Alright, put him out,'' Michael instructed.

''Michael...wait,'' Steve requested. ''I don't need that. Just pop in the new pack so I can get back to Jaime. Please...''

With Rudy incapacitated, this was Michael's operating room, and he was _in charge_. ''I need to work fast, with you perfectly still, to get this done. Besides, you won't leave the table until I'm sure your energy has been restored and there are no complications. Sorry; non-negotiable. But I'll have you up and back with Jaime as soon as _both_of your conditions allow it. I promise.'' With no further discussion, Michael nodded to the anesthesiologist and Steve didn't put up a fight.

The procedure itself was straightforward and went quickly. Michael was able to replace the power pack, remove the bullet and stretch a new (temporary) plasticine skin into place. He took a look at Rudy's latest monitor readings as he waited for Steve to start coming around...and Michael breathed a sigh of relief. His boss and mentor had suffered a myocardial ischemia - an 'event', rather than a full-on heart attack - and the medications appeared to be working. He would be closely monitored and more tests would need to be done but (for now) Rudy was out of danger.

Steve, too, was beginning to stabilize. He was just fighting his way back to consciousness when a nurse brought Jaime's x-rays and pinned them up in the light box for Michael. For one brief fleeting moment, his emotions overrode his professionalism and he swore softly...just as Steve opened his eyes.

''Well that's a helluva 'Welcome back', Doc,'' Steve joked groggily. Then he saw where the young doctor's attention was focused - and instantly snapped into full awareness. Steve had an awful, eerie sense of deja vu, back to another very dark night in the same hospital, when he'd stared at a similar set of x-rays with Rudy and Oscar...the night Jaime had died. ''Tell me, Michael...?'' Steve pleaded, fighting off the effects of the anesthetic to sit up on the table.

Michael snapped off the light box; he'd seen everything he needed to see. ''Give her another dose of coumadin and x-ray again in 15 minutes,'' he told the nurse. He pulled a stool over to the table and sat down to have a very difficult conversation with Steve.

''Is she...?'' Steve began (unable to fully wrap his mind around the words).

Michael nodded grimly. ''The injury to her leg - and the stress of the situation - Jaime's in full bionic rejection. There's a clot. It's a very small one but in a dangerous position. I'm hoping medication might dissolve it harmlessly but if that doesn't happen in the next few minutes, I'm afraid there won't be any other option but to take her into surgery. I'm sorry; I wish I had better news for you.''

Steve nodded wordlessly. Michael checked his vital signs and concluded that the new power pack had taken hold and was functioning normally. ''Steve,'' he said carefully, knowing he was treading into delicate territory, ''if Jaime does need surgery, it needs to be as soon as possible. But I need to know if you're comfortable with having me perform the procedure...or if you'd rather have another doctor brought in.''

''You're the best at what you do,'' Steve said simply. ''And I appreciate everything you've done here tonight...and everything you're about to do. Thank you.''

The two former rivals for the same woman's affections shared a sincere handshake with the fervent hope that this longest of nights was almost over...and not just beginning.

* * *

''Oscar, I need you over here!'' Jack Hansen called. Most of the makeshift command center had gradually been cleared away, with the medical staff returning to the hospital and teams from the NSB and OSI hauling their new prisoners downtown to The Hole for processing and interrogation. Jack Hansen had remained behind, in a fortified van with the one who appeared to be the ringleader, pumping him for information without any prying eyes to witness how that information was obtained.

''Tell him what you just told me!'' Hansen snarled at the prisoner when Oscar reached the back of the van. ''_**Tell him**__!_''

The prisoner grinned evilly, his eyes glowing in the manner of the truly psychotic. He didn't flinch when Hansen slammed him against the wall of the van. It was only his own sheer joy (and lunacy) that loosened his tongue. ''Let's just say that trigger switch might not have been attached to only one bomb,'' he chuckled. ''And that's all I have to say about that!''


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Hansen stepped out of the van and slammed the door. ''He's bluffing,'' he said flatly.

Oscar was livid. ''How could you 'clear' that building, Jack? We never should've allowed everyone back inside!''

''_We_ cleared the building of _people_'' Jack sputtered. ''Austin and Sommers cleared the bomb. We all thought there was only one; they said so themselves!''

Oscar knew there'd really been no other viable choice at the time, since Steve would likely not have made it to Edwards without a new power pack - and Michael was possibly too inexperienced with bionics to have attempted the replacement on a chopper in-flight. The surgical unit here was far better equipped for Jaime's needs - and Rudy, too, had needed immediate attention. Sending them all to Edwards had truly been a last-ditch, stop-gap measure...but was it one they should've attempted anyway? There was no time to second guess now; they had work to do. Oscar keyed up his datacom. ''Get me Michael Marchetti,'' he ordered to the men still in the building. ''Wherever he's at, give him a datacom because I need to talk to him NOW.''

Hansen was on his own device, calling for teams of bomb-sniffing dogs - and extra human reinforcements, since many of his squads were now transporting prisoners. ''I still say he's bluffing,'' he concluded to Oscar.

''Could be,'' Oscar allowed. ''But we can't take a chance; we have to re-evacuate the building.''

* * *

Michael pinned the new x-rays into the light box, magnified them and compared them to the previous set...then finally dared to breathe a sigh of relief. It was not a best-case scenario, but the results were encouraging. The blood clot was still visible - and poised to do potentially fatal damage - but it was definitely shrinking. He thanked the nurse who brought him a much-needed cup of coffee, then stretched his tired limbs and began making treatment notes for all three of his patients.

The arrival of one of Hansen's 'penguins' interrupted his thoughts. ''Doctor Marchetti? Goldman - for you - says it's urgent.'' He keyed up the device. ''Found him, Sir; go ahead.''

Oscar's voice was tense but steady. ''Michael? There may be a second bomb. I need you to start clearing out again immediately. Choppers are here. We'll move everyone to Edwards.''

''That's impossible,'' Michael stammered. Steve was almost as good as new and Rudy was stable enough to make the trip...but for Jaime it couldn't have come at a worse time. If they had any hope of avoiding surgery, Jaime needed to be kept completely still until the clot was dissolved. Jostling her now (with a flight via chopper or even an ambulance ride to Edwards) could dislodge the deadly little clot and if they were traveling between hospitals and something went wrong, there would be absolutely no chance of saving her. ''Jaime can't be transported right now. It's just too risky.''

''Then bring her out and stabilize her here if you have to. I'm sorry; this cannot be optional. Evac begins now.'' Oscar hated the thought of ordering a critically ill woman (especially Jaime) to be treated on the far side of a hospital parking lot...but if the terrorist had been telling the truth, the alternative (if she was allowed to remain inside) was unbearable.

Reluctantly, Michael began preparing for evacuation. He had the nurses gather medicines and supplies and sent orderlies to take Rudy outside on a gurney. He would've ideally given Steve a few more hours to rest before asking anything more of him than a walk across the room but as Michael was (very briefly) debating with himself, Steve appeared in the office doorway.

''I heard it on the datacom. What do you need me to do? And...what about Jaime? Is she...?''

''I think we can avoid surgery,'' Michael explained, ''but only if we keep her very, very still. I don't _want _to move her, but we have no choice. Steve, I need you to go down to the lab and get the portable generator. Take that outside and then meet me in Jaime's room.''

''I'll double-time it, Doc,'' Steve promised.

Michael retrieved another gurney and headed down the hall to get his sickest patient ready for the short trip outside. Her breathing was shallow and her vitals were low but she was holding steady. Michael increased the drip on her IV and administered more sedation so she wouldn't rouse when they moved her. He would disconnect her monitors at the last possible moment; they would bring them along, to be hooked to the generator. He tried to remain hopeful as he sank into a chair at Jaime's bedside to wait for Steve.

* * *

''Should you be carrying that, Pal?'' Oscar asked when Steve emerged from the hospital with the mini-generator.

''I'm fine; Michael did a great job.'' He looked (and felt) so robust that it was impossible to tell that he was even a patient. ''I have to go back in,'' he concluded.

''No one goes back into the building except the bomb squads and their dogs,'' Hansen ordered, joining them. He'd just completed a head count of those who'd been evacuated. ''Where are Sommers and Marchetti?''

''I need to help Michael bring Jaime out,'' Steve insisted, pleading his case to Oscar. He - by far - preferred reasoning with his own boss rather than with Jack Hansen, especially in a crisis.

Oscar nodded. ''Let him go, Jack.'' He knew without saying it that there was no stopping Steve when it came to Jaime's well-being...and Steve was a safer and more effective choice to assist Michael now than an orderly would be.

Steve turned and headed back toward the hospital, passing the first few dogs that had just arrived. He had just reached the door when the dogs began to bark wildly...and mini-explosions - too many too count - spattered off like gunfire from points throughout the facility.

Before the smoke could clear and without waiting for instructions or orders, Steve broke into a bionic run. The air in the downstairs hallway was heavy and acrid but Steve's years of experience told him that this was not a bomb blast. ''Squibs, Oscar,'' he transmitted as he ran. ''Pyrotechnics...smoke and mirrors. I'm on my way to Jaime's room now.''

Outside, more dogs were arriving but Hansen had to hold them back. The squibs had been planted to cause chaos and confusion...and the plan had worked. Until the smoke cleared, the scent of gunpowder would only confuse the animals and draw them away from a real bomb...if one still awaited them.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Michael had no way of knowing what was going on outside the four walls of Jaime's hospital room but he knew what he'd heard...and what he could smell: explosions and gunpowder. Had Steve made it outside or was he trapped in the basement on the other side of the hospital? Michael wished they'd taken Jaime out first, but in doing it this way his hope had been that she'd be off the monitors for the least amount of time possible. Was the building still intact or had the detonations - which sounded like they came from every floor, every corner of the hospital - weakened the structure? Was it all about to cave in on them? Regardless of what was happening (and what he hoped was _not _about to happen), Michael had no intention of leaving Jaime's side. If any part of the room started to crumble he would grab tightly to her bed so that wherever they happened to end up in a potential collapse, he'd be able to take care of her until help could arrive to find them.

In her drug-induced semi-coma, Jaime was holding steady between this world and the next. There were no discernible images in her mind's eye but it felt as though she was floating to Earth beneath a comforting, supportive parachute. Her ears registered the detonations and the 'parachute' was shot full of holes, trapping her in a feeling of plummeting blindly in an endless free-fall toward the ground...and her own destruction.

Steve tore down the hallway and had just reached the corner near Jaime's room when the fire alarms began to sound and the sprinklers came on. ''Oscar,'' he called, ''please advise location of any fires. Out.'' He quickly turned the last corner. ''Let's get you both out of here,'' he told Michael.

''Bombs?'' Michael asked as he began unhooking Jaime from her monitors. ''More than one?''

''Squibs. So far, just harmless squibs...but a helluva lot of 'em. What do you need me to do?''

''Security is reporting no visible fires anywhere in the building,'' Oscar reported. Steve thanked their lucky stars for that - and turned to Michael for instructions.

Michael motioned to the machines. ''These need to go on the lower shelf of the gurney. Then we'll move Jaime.'' He checked her vitals one more time as Steve moved the equipment. ''I'll keep her head steady while you shift her onto the gurney,'' he instructed. ''Smoothly...nice and slow.''

Still deep within her netherworld fog, Jaime felt the sensation of gentle hands enveloping her, as though breaking her free-fall and bearing her to safety. Her panic abated and she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Outside, just beyond the barricades, Hansen was rallying the dogs and their handlers. The fire alarms had been a blessing in disguise. Now that the sprinklers had discharged, it would only be a few more minutes until the gunpowder smell dissipated completely and he could send in the bomb squads.

Over on his gurney, Rudy began to stir - and pulled off his oxygen mask. The nurses stepped away to one side to allow Oscar to join them. He put his hand on Rudy's arm. ''Easy there,'' Oscar soothed. ''Just lie back and rest.''

''Jaime...Steve...the others...?'' Rudy mumbled softly.

''Everything's under control,'' Oscar asserted (hoping he hadn't just lied to his friend). ''Steve is just fine...and Michael is with Jaime.''

''Where...are they?'' Rudy persisted. His voice (and his body) were weak but his determination was strong. His eyes scanned the lot for any sign of the two patients he often called his 'kids'.

''Rest now,'' Oscar repeated.

Almost as if on cue, Steve and Michael emerged from the hospital and lifted the gurney from each end to avoid hitting any bumps in the pavement. As soon as they set her down next to the generator, Michael reconnected Jaime to her monitors...and flashed his first smile since being rousted out of bed by Russ's phone call. (It seemed like an eternity ago.)

''Her vitals are stronger,'' he announced with more than a little surprise.

Rudy caught sight of the monitors and feared the worst. He struggled to sit up but Steve eased him back down gently. ''Relax, Doc; Oscar and Michael have everything under control. Everything's going to be alright.''


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

By the time the sun finally came up, the bomb squads had emerged from the hospital and pronounced the building absolutely and definitively clear. An army of clean-up crews descended upon every surface on every floor and then staff and patients began to filter back inside. As soon as Michael could be assured that an operating room was fully functional (on the off-chance that Jaime would still need one) he - with careful assistance from Steve - delivered her safely back into a waiting bed.

''Tomorrow,'' Michael promised his mentor a few hours later, when Rudy demanded to see Jaime. ''Maybe. For now, _I'm_ in charge and _you _need to rest. I have a cardiologist flying out to consult and once he gives you the okay...but even then, only a short visit because you need to get your strength back first.''

Rudy smiled. ''I know she's in good hands.''

''The latest set of x-rays show no sign of the clot,'' Michael summarized. ''Still some rejection antibodies in her blood but I expect that'll clear up in a day or two...and we're keeping her on coumadin and anti-rejection meds until she tests clear. Then we'll reverse the bionic tune-down, ease off the sedation and bring her back.''

''Excellent work, Doctor,'' Rudy praised...and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When Jaime finally opened her eyes, she saw Steve, Oscar, Michael and Rudy (in a wheelchair, at Michael's insistence) all smiling back at her. She caught Steve's gaze and held it as he leaned in to kiss her.

''Welcome back, Beautiful,'' he said softly. ''You had us all pretty scared.''

''Yeah...I really...messed up...'' she whispered.

Steve knew that was a discussion for a later date (if ever). ''Nonsense. You're alive - we're _all_ alive - and that's the only thing that matters.'' He grinned even wider, like a mischievous schoolboy. ''And Lady...you've got one helluva pitching arm!''

* * *

Steve and Jaime walked hand-in-hand along Lake Casitas, taking a seat at their usual spot on the old fallen tree. ''Oscar called me in to the office today,'' Jaime began (after taking a few minutes to simply exult in the fresh air and sunshine).

''I know.''

''Oh, you do? And do you know what he wanted?''

''I'm guessing you'll tell me,'' Steve chuckled.

''He's going back to DC tomorrow and he knew I wanted to see him - and since Rudy and Michael finally said it was okay for me to talk about anything deeper than the weather...'' (She was only half-kidding; with two doctors practically double-teaming her, _caution _had been the word of the day far too long for Jaime's taste...but she loved them for it.) ''He told me I did excellent work -''

''You did.''

''I screwed up, big-time,'' Jaime asserted. ''And more than once. I'm not ready to work for him yet but maybe someday soon...with the right training.'' She turned her head to look up at Steve and her eyes sparkled. ''Guess who gets to do _that?_''

''Russ...Rudy..._Max_?'' Steve laughed.

''Oscar told me how you helped question the terrorists...but I already knew you were amazing.''

''We still haven't pieced together their motives - but we will. And about that training...when you're ready - AND when the doctors say you're ready - I'll teach you everything I know.''

''And I'll teach _you_...how to play a _decent _game of Monopoly, Colonel! Maybe someday you'll even win one!''

''Sounds like a deal to me.'' Steve lifted Jaime's chin and gazed tenderly into her eyes. ''Partners?''

In that single moment, every doubt was erased and their fears had vanished. With one word, life, work and especially love were transformed into a glowing gift with a bright red bow, just waiting for her to open it...and Jaime smiled.

_''__**Partners.''**_

* * *

(end of episode three)


End file.
